These numbers rely on people accessing the app store, which I'd wager is more common among those more likely to upgrade. People who are happy with what they have, both OS-wise and app-wise, will be under-represented by this data.
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iOS 8 Now Installed on Nearly 60 Percent of Active iOS Devices
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i've had a very weird glitch in iOS 8.1 on an ipad 2. The sounds were all screwed up. I thought the speakers were damaged. After going through some lock schenanigans on this laggy iPad I managed to shut it down and restart. After this it solved it. Weird
iOS 8 is the worst thing to happen to iPad 2.
Dang!!! A SINGLE minor bug that fixed itself after a restart??!! That DOES sound nightmarish!!! Your life sounds SUPER difficult.
Please share with us some other examples of "worsts" you've encountered... it's interesting hearing such extreme stories.
/dripping sarcasm
#doesn'tevenqualifyasa1stworldproblem
I am guessing part of that percentage jump is from the jailbreak.
(I had 4 devices in my house on ios 7 waiting for the ios 8 JB)
I love ios 8 on my iPad Mini 2, but on my phones it's kind of whatever. Using the 5S and 6 plus, the gf is using an original iPad mini on 8.1 with no slow down but that could be because I installed noslowanimations)
Honestly thought as much as I like quick reply and handoff (iphone to iPad) ios8 was kind of a let down. I don't know it just seem like "'eh" , I am guess that is because ios7 was such a different / huge update
(I had 4 devices in my house on ios 7 waiting for the ios 8 JB)
I love ios 8 on my iPad Mini 2, but on my phones it's kind of whatever. Using the 5S and 6 plus, the gf is using an original iPad mini on 8.1 with no slow down but that could be because I installed noslowanimations)
Honestly thought as much as I like quick reply and handoff (iphone to iPad) ios8 was kind of a let down. I don't know it just seem like "'eh" , I am guess that is because ios7 was such a different / huge update
I guess I am one of the 5%. I'm on 6.1.4 on iPhone 5 with iTunes 10.7
Fast, reliable, can use iTunes 10.7, better battery life, immediate syncing, better music app, better media organization. No downside.
Hoping to get the most out of iTunes 10.7 as long as I can. Apple has just gutted iTunes and unfortunately iOS as well since then.
You and me both. I learned my lesson the hard way with my last iPhone with updates that brought performance to a halt. My iPhone 5 will keep iOS 6. I'll update the operating system when I have hardware that can handle it. You won't make my phone obsolete this time, Apple!
I really wish they'd split these numbers up by region and device type. Maybe adoption on iPads is way higher because people have less photos on them? Maybe China was late to upgrade because the rate of jail breakers is higher? We'll never know... 
I assume the App Store app phones home even if you don't open it, otherwise how would it present the updates badge or notify you about an OS update? (Although the latter seems to be part of Settings.app - but I'm honestly not sure how it works internally.)
In most cases, the developer's client decides before users can, anyway...
And based on my highly scientific survey of the App Store, most Top Grossing apps work on iOS 6 or below, and NONE of the Top Free/Paid apps require iOS 8. And it makes sense, because if an app is successful, then investing a few hours/days in iOS 7 support is a no-brainer.
So basically, you are proud of building unpopular apps.
(That said, I've just paid $5 for an iOS 8+ app. Indie apps ftw. - And Apple also seems more likely to feature your app if you go all-in on new features.)
I assume the App Store app phones home even if you don't open it, otherwise how would it present the updates badge or notify you about an OS update? (Although the latter seems to be part of Settings.app - but I'm honestly not sure how it works internally.)
In most cases, the developer's client decides before users can, anyway...
And based on my highly scientific survey of the App Store, most Top Grossing apps work on iOS 6 or below, and NONE of the Top Free/Paid apps require iOS 8. And it makes sense, because if an app is successful, then investing a few hours/days in iOS 7 support is a no-brainer.
So basically, you are proud of building unpopular apps.
(That said, I've just paid $5 for an iOS 8+ app. Indie apps ftw.
- And Apple also seems more likely to feature your app if you go all-in on new features.)
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I guess I am one of the 5%. I'm on 6.1.4 on iPhone 5 with iTunes 10.7
Fast, reliable, can use iTunes 10.7, better battery life, immediate syncing, better music app, better media organization. No downside.
Hoping to get the most out of iTunes 10.7 as long as I can. Apple has just gutted iTunes and unfortunately iOS as well since then.
Woo 5%-ers! Rockin 6.1.3 on my iPad 2 and 4 and iPhone 4S and 6.1.4 on my 5. Looks great, works reliably, and I'm just a happier person. Conformity be damned.
Same Here. I did read about all the Problems on on side and I recalled my passed issues when my iDevices got slower up to unusable by updates so I stay on iOS 7
Interesting. You might be right, hadn't thought of it that way. Why not say that in the article though?
I wonder about that. How exactly are they measuring this. Is it by activated devices, calls to download installer or, as I suspect, by downloading or updating an iOS device. And how might that skew the numbers. Consider that I might get an iPhone 6 and restore a backup from my computer and haven't updated any apps via the App Store on my iPhone. Might that mean I'm not being counted. Or as weird as it sounds I might be one of those freaks that never downloads apps. I want the phone for email etc so I got a 5c with iOS 8 on it and off I go, again perhaps not counted
Me too, ios 6 on my iPad 2 and will keep it there until it dies. Faster, better looking (IMO, and I do have iOS 8 on my iPhone 5), and does everything I need from an iPad.
You think everyone with the right mind takes seriously any crap they read on the internet?
Of course you like the chart ignores the millions of devices that cannot have either
i've had a very weird glitch in iOS 8.1 on an ipad 2. The sounds were all screwed up. I thought the speakers were damaged. After going through some lock schenanigans on this laggy iPad I managed to shut it down and restart. After this it solved it. Weird
iOS 8 is the worst thing to happen to iPad 2.
It sure is. A real turd in a long line of good Apple releases.
Definitely this. I know loads of people that say, Whats that red 1 for on settings?.
I wouldn't say the chart "ignores" those devices... it's just not the purpose of the chart.
The chart simply shows what percentage of iOS devices that accessed the App Store are on which versions of iOS.
There are three categories: iOS 8, iOS 7, and Earlier. It's a very simple pie-chart.
The chart does not give any other types of information... such as which devices are ineligible for an upgrade.... or if a user actively refuses an upgrade.
It's simply a guide to let developers know what percentage of users are on which version of iOS.
So according to the chart... a developer can target iOS 7 and iOS 8 and they will cover 96% of the iOS installed base who visited the App Store recently.
I see your point and agree with it but Im not sure the figures would change a bustin lot. These are statistics and they can be presented to show whatever you want in a favourable light if you get the right ones.
Case in point. Tim Crook loves to harp on about the percentage of users on the latest OS, (which is quite high), in comparison to Android or Windows. He could actually just give raw numbers which wouldnt look nearly so impressive.
He could also give both which although takes increased time and research is the most transparent route.
I thought the lag and the overheating of the unit on many apps was obscene (but at least I had phone signal! unlike those new Iphone 6 owners) so I thought that apple would take care of all that w IOS 8.1 and it would improve on the optimizing the performance on my phone...and that's why I didn't downgrade... now I absolutely regret that choice!
Yeah, IOS8.1 is definitely not optimized for "old phones"... I have all my apps updated to the latest version... And while I couldn't care less if it was still my phone, having basic apps like FB and Safari not working properly for my mom makes me feel like "I am getting rid of a useless piece of junk" instead of handing over a perfectly functioning piece of equipment (like it was a couple of weeks ago) that she could use...
This behaviour potentially would keep me away from your products unless I had no option or you had a must have feature.
I'm pretty sure Apple knows the EXACT number of devices that are hitting the App Store every second of every day... and what version of iOS they are running. Apple could easily tell us that.
But does a developer really need to know the exact number?
What if you knew that 300 million iOS devices were running iOS 8... would that make you more likely or less likely to start developing for iOS 8?
What if it was only 200 million?